Storm to gain steam as it charges southward through the Rockies this weekend
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jan 9, 2021 3:28 PM EDT
After a storm delivered rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest Friday night, forecasters say snow will spread into the Rocky Mountains and continue into the weekend.
Despite ample rain and mountain snow in the Pacific Northwest, locations farther to the south and east have missed out on precipitation during the first full week of the new year. In addition, many areas are dealing with a drought that began in earnest several months ago, as the typical summer monsoon did not materialize in many cities. However, that is likely to change for some on Saturday.
A storm that delivered rain and mountain snow to Washington and Oregon Friday will lose much of its moisture after crossing the Cascades. Even though much less precipitation is initially expected farther east, it will not be completely dry.
"This will be a nuisance event for the mountains of Utah, Wyoming and northern Colorado, with only a light accumulation of snow expected in these areas," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff.
Snow will taper off across the mountains of Utah early Saturday, with the primary corridor of snowy conditions shifting into Colorado and New Mexico.
Later Saturday, as the disturbance in the upper atmosphere moves eastward into the central Rockies, this snowmaker will gain new life.
"Denver may pick up a slippery coating to an inch or two of snowfall at the beginning of the weekend, but the heaviest snowfall will target the Interstate 25 corridor well south of the city, from Pueblo, Colorado, to Las Vegas and Santa Fe, New Mexico," Duff stated.
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Anyone traveling on interstates 25 or 70 will need to exercise caution, especially later Saturday and into Saturday evening.
"Here, roadways can be snow-covered and treacherous for any weekend travelers," warned Duff.
The greatest snow accumulations will occur in the southern Rockies. Not only will the storm gain strength, but the higher elevations will help the atmosphere to squeeze out more moisture as the air is lifted into the mountains. In addition to 25 and 70, Interstate 40 can also become snow-packed and slippery as the snow moves southward into New Mexico on Saturday night.
In the highest elevations in New Mexico, 6-12 inches of snow is expected to fall, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches.
From there, the snowstorm will move into the southern Plains by early next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Storm to gain steam as it charges southward through the Rockies this weekend
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jan 9, 2021 3:28 PM EDT
After a storm delivered rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest Friday night, forecasters say snow will spread into the Rocky Mountains and continue into the weekend.
Despite ample rain and mountain snow in the Pacific Northwest, locations farther to the south and east have missed out on precipitation during the first full week of the new year. In addition, many areas are dealing with a drought that began in earnest several months ago, as the typical summer monsoon did not materialize in many cities. However, that is likely to change for some on Saturday.
A storm that delivered rain and mountain snow to Washington and Oregon Friday will lose much of its moisture after crossing the Cascades. Even though much less precipitation is initially expected farther east, it will not be completely dry.
"This will be a nuisance event for the mountains of Utah, Wyoming and northern Colorado, with only a light accumulation of snow expected in these areas," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff.
Snow will taper off across the mountains of Utah early Saturday, with the primary corridor of snowy conditions shifting into Colorado and New Mexico.
Later Saturday, as the disturbance in the upper atmosphere moves eastward into the central Rockies, this snowmaker will gain new life.
"Denver may pick up a slippery coating to an inch or two of snowfall at the beginning of the weekend, but the heaviest snowfall will target the Interstate 25 corridor well south of the city, from Pueblo, Colorado, to Las Vegas and Santa Fe, New Mexico," Duff stated.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Anyone traveling on interstates 25 or 70 will need to exercise caution, especially later Saturday and into Saturday evening.
"Here, roadways can be snow-covered and treacherous for any weekend travelers," warned Duff.
The greatest snow accumulations will occur in the southern Rockies. Not only will the storm gain strength, but the higher elevations will help the atmosphere to squeeze out more moisture as the air is lifted into the mountains. In addition to 25 and 70, Interstate 40 can also become snow-packed and slippery as the snow moves southward into New Mexico on Saturday night.
In the highest elevations in New Mexico, 6-12 inches of snow is expected to fall, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches.
From there, the snowstorm will move into the southern Plains by early next week.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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